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A LONG-LOST SPEECH 

OF 

RED JACKET 

FOUND 

IN A RARE BOOK 

ONLY TWO COPIES OF WHICH 

ARE KNOWN TO EXIST 

AND HEREWITH 

REPRODUCED 
IN FULL 



BY JOHN W. SANBORN, A. M. 

MEMBER OF THE SCOTTSVILLE. N. Y. 
LITERARY SOCIETY 




Kj^ 



FRIENDSHIP, NEW YORK 
1912 






AN exceedingly rare and valuable Book relat- 
ing to the Senfxa Indians, which was re- 
cently catalogued in "Americana" by the 
Anderson Auction Company, is described in their 
Catalogue as follows: 

"SENECA INDIANS. A Narrative of a mission- 
ary tour through the western settlements of the State 
of New York and into the southwestern parts of the 
province of upper Canada; performed by Lemuel Co- 
vell of Pittstown in company with Elder Obed War- 
ren of Salem, in the fall of 1803. With an Appen- 
dix containing several speeches to and from the Indi- 
ans. 16mo. Troy, N. Y.. 1804 

* Excessively Rare. A copy is in the libra- 
ry of the American Antiquarian Society at Worces- 
ter; this may be the only other copy. Not .noted by 
Field, not in the Brinley collection, no record of any 
sale by auction, no copy in State Library, or in the 
Library of Conjiress, or in the Ayer collection, or in 
the New York Historical Society, or in the John 
Carter Brown Library, or the Lames collection. 

Various letters certifying to the rarity of this item 
are laid in. 

Fhe Appendix contains the speech delivered by 
Red jacket, in council with the principal sa- 
chems of the Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga Nations, 
to the Rev. L'kanah Holmes, missionary to the 
North-western Indians. 1 he council was held tode- 
cide the matter of building a house of worship and 
the education of the children in the Seneca village. 
Red Jacket spoke in favor of building the house. 

Also contains the talk of LIder Holmes to the sa- 
chems, chiefs, warriors, and others of the Tuscarora 
Nation. The speech of Red Jacket was interpreted 
by Johnson and Smith, Indian interpreters to DA- 
VID Thompson, Justice of •^he Peace, County of 
Genesee, and JOHN W. BR'vWNSON, Lieutenant 
of the Lleventh Regiment United States Infantry, 
who, over their signatures, vouch for the correctness 
of the translation, in a staten^ent dated 'BufFaloe 
Creek, 28th September, 1803.' " 



I 



T is a well known fact that Red Jacket, al- 
most all his life, cherished a deep animosity 
"*- toward clergymen. 

For the past thirty-hve years, covering the peri- 
od of my personal acquaintance with the New 
York Indians, there has been floating around at 
frequent intervals, a legend to the effect that a 
certain missionary, about one hundred years ago, 
so won the confidence of Red Jacket that when it 
was proposed to build a house of worship among 
the Senecas, Red Jacket actually made a speech in 
favor of the movement; but no one seemed to 
know anything definite about the speech. 

For thirty years I endeavored to find some trace 
of this speech, v.ith no success, and I came to the 
conclusion that, if ever such a speech was made, it 
was ne\'er recorded. 

In January, 1/12, it was my pleasure to be the 
guest, for a day, of Admiral Franklin Hanford, 
U. S. Navy, ( retired), at his home at Scottsville, 
New York. While there an interesting clue to the 
long-sought speech startled me. 

Admiral Hanford is a gentleman of extraordi- 
nary literary taste, and of wide research, and is an 
enthusiastic collector of choice literary gems. 

From him I received the Catalogue of ''Ameri- 
cana " to which reference has been made at the be- 
ginning of this brochure. 

And here, after thirty years' search, was a posi- 
tive proof of the existence of the coveted speech ! 

Through the kindness of Mr. C. S. Brigham, 
Librarian of The American Antiquarian Society 
at Worcester, Mass., I procured a copy of Red 
Jacket's remarkable speech, and also of the felici- 
tous reply of the Rew Klkanah Holmes. In many 
respects Red Jacket's speech was the most remark- 
able he ever delivered, and the reply evinces such 
wisdom and skill, and breathes such a catholic 
spirit that it is not to be wondered at that this mis- 



sio'iary acquired ^reat influence over the Senecas 
and Red Jacket. This reply, uttered i:i the pres- 
ence of the Council, was precisely the kind of 
speech sure to win the favor of the Indians, and \ tt 
it was evidently uttered not with a special design 
to win favor — it was more the spontaneous expres- 
sion of a true and friendly heart. 

Red Jacket's speech and the reply of Rev. Mr. 
Holmes are printed in full in the Appendix of 
this rare hook, and 1 have, herewith, reproduced 
both speeches. I have also made use of f's for the 
old fashioned s's just as they appear in the book. 

— John Wentworth Sanborn. 
"APPENDIX. 

The reader will recollect, that mention has been made of 
a council, held at the Seneca village, on the fubject of build- 
ing a houfe at faid village for public vv'orfhip, and for edu- 
cating their children; and that Elder 1 5ulmes was waiting 
for their anfwer, when we arrived at BufFaloe. ThiG council 
was occasioned by the oppofi'Jon of a part of the nation, 
headed by a certain influential Chief by the name of Obail''' 
and a brother T of his, who pretends to be a prophet, againft 
the building of the houfe, receiving any books from the white 
people for the inftruction of their children, or hearkening to 
the gofpel and the maxims of civilization. At this council, 
the principal chiefs of ihe Onondaga and Cayuga nations 
were prefent. The object was to effect a reconciliation be- 
tween the two contending parties, fo that the houfe might be 
built, the missionary received, and the nation inftructed in 
the principles of the gofpel and civilization, by genera! and 
amicable agreement. — Much depended on the result oi: this 
council. The famous orator, Red Jacket, was a ftrenuous 
advocate for receiving the gofpel and building the houfe; 
and a majority of the nation were on his fide. After coun- 
felling together on the fubject upwards of ten days, they 
came to a conclusion to have the houfe built; and mvited 
Mr. Holmes to meet them at their cnuncil-houfe, where Red 
Jacket delivered him the following fpeech, in the prcfence 
of the nation, and of the gentlemen hereafter named, who 
committed the fame to writing, as appears by the annexed 
certificate, bearing their fignatures. 

*Cornplanter. Afterwards became a warm friend of the whites. 
flliindsomo T.ake" railed himself "the Great Reformer." 



A SPEECH 

Delivered by Red Jacket, a Sachem of the Seneca nation 
of Indians, in Council with the principal Sachems of the 
Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga Nations, to the Rev. Elka- 
nah Holmes, Miflionary to the Northweftern Indians. 

FATHER — We thank the Great Spirit above, for the op- 
portunity of meeting together this day. We are forry that we 
have made fo many delays on our part, and for not letting 
the Miffionary Society know our minds before. 

FATHER — We are forry that you have been detained fo 
long on our account. We have now made up our minds, and 
concluded, in a general council, that hereafter there fhali be 
no difficulty arifing on our part. 

FATHER — We have heard the advice which you have 
repeatedly given us, and have taken it coolly into consider- 
ation, fo that all our people may underftand it. \ourcuftoms 
are different from ours: We agree to yours; but are not con- 
tent to forget fome vl our own cuftoms, which have been 
handed down to us by our forefathers. 

FATHER — Some years ago, the reason which we affign 
for our forefathers not laying hold of the gofpel, and the cuf- 
toms of the white people, is, that theyfupposed that they in- 
habited a tract of country fulficiently extenfive to render 
them independent of the white people; but you paffed by 
and looked over us, and went to vifit more weftern nations. 

FATHER — Our friends, the Indians, have found the evil 
of not attending to good advice. For inftance, here are a 
number of different nations — Delawares, Tuscaroras, and 
others — who, from a want of education and a knowledge of 
your cuftoms, have been deceived by the white people, and 
become their flaves, and have been feen at their doors, cut- 
ting wood and making brooms, to earn their bread; when, 
if they had followed the cuftoms of their forefathers, they 
would have known better, and would not have been there. 

FATHER — This is the reafon why we gradually comply 
with what the Miflionary Society has recommended to us, 
that we may not be deceived and taken advantage of, like 
thofe we mentioned before. We have great hopes from the 
information we have received from the young Chief, whom 
the Miffionary Society have now under their care, that he 
will be of great fervice to us, and be able to read our pa- 
pers, and explain all writings which we may receive from 
the Miffionary Society, or on any other bufinefs. 

FATHER — It has been recommended to us by your great 
Chief, General Washington, that we Ihould be united as 
friends and brothers, and learn to cultivate the foil, and at- 
tend to everything that would be for our comfort and hap- 
pinefs. 



FATHER — You have been fent here by a number of 
thofe who wear the fame cloth with yourfelf: Their good in- 
tention in fending you among us was to open our eyes, and 
to inhruct us in thofe things which will be for our good. 

FATHER — We are convinced that the Miffionary Soci- 
ety are friends to the Indians. 

FATHER — You have taken a great deal of pains and 
trouble, in coming among us to inftruct us for our good; but 
we make not the fmalleft doubt that there are a number of 
white people who have doubted v/hether we fhall ever lay 
hold of the gofpel, and of the good inftructions which you 
have come fo far to give us: But we hope to convince thofe 
of that opinion, that our children will lay hold of all the good 
which you have, from time to time, given us. 

We, the chiefs of the Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga na- 
tions, have agreed to liften to what has been recommended 
to us: — not that we say that all will liften; but that the great- 
er part have agreed to hearken to what our fathers, the Mif- 
fionaries, have faid to us. 

FATr lER — We have been a long time counfelling among 
ourfelves about building the houfe for worfhip, and for edu- 
cating our children, which you have recommended to us; 
and are now all agreed that it fhail be built, at the place 
where you have ftuck the ftake; and hope that it may be- 
come ufeful to our children, and make them wise. 

FATHER — We thank the Great Spirit above, and the 
Miffionary Society, for fending you among us. We have 
heard the good elTect it has had, by the care they have tak- 
en of the young chief. We return our fathers, the Miffion- 
ary Society, thanks for their attention and care of him, and 
for the benefit we hope to receive from him hereafter. 

FATHER — We have given up this young chief to your 
charge; but we cannot fay how far you are going to carry 
him in learning; but will leave it to our fathers, the Miffion- 
ary Society, to fay how far they think proper to carry him; 
fo that, when he returns to us, he may be capable of tranf- 
acting our public bufinefs equal to the white people. 

FATHER — Upon this fubject we will ftop; but probably 
fay fomething further on another fubject. 

FATHER — Look around the room, and you will fee a 
number of us with the appearance of old age upon our coun- 
tenances, who have no idea of leaving ofT fome of our an- 
cient cuftoms; but we will leave our children to judge for 
themfelves. 

FATHER — You have vifited us at our villages when we 
were attending to our cuftomary worfhip, about the middle 
of cold weather. We make it a cuftom to meet together at 



-« _ /' . 



that time, at our feveral villages, (which is a cuftom hand- 
ed down to us by our foretathers) to return thanks to the 
Great Spirit above, for the succefs we have had in hunting 
our game for the lupport of our families. 

FATHER — There is another time when we return thanks 
to the Great Spirit: It is when our crops become fit to ufe, 
it being from Him that we receive all thofe good things. 

Thefe cuftoms now mentioned we intend to continue in; 
and we hope you will have no objection to our following 
them. 

FATHER — You would not like to have us deprive you 
of any of your cuftoms ! How would you feel if we were to 
infift on your leaving off your cuftoms, and adopting ours? 
For this reafon, Father, we will retain the cuftoms before 
mentioned, and attend to yours; and pray to the Great Spir- 
it, that both may lead us to happinefs. 

FATHER — This is all we have to fay at this time — only 
that we wish that u copy of the Talk delivered this day may 
be fent to our fathers, the Miffionary Society, and that one 
may be left with us; fo that it it fhould be forgotten by our 
old men, it may be feen and underftood by our children 
hereafter. 



AN EXTEMPORANEOUS REPLY 

TO THE FOREGOING TALK, BY THE 

REV. ELKANAH HOLMES, MISSIONARY. 

My Children — I thank the Great Spirit above, that I am 
allowed to meet with the chiefs of the Senecas, Onondagas 
and Cayugas this day. I thank you all, my Children, that 
you have been fo kind as to meet me here at this time. 
I have had a great desire, ever fince I met you, at your fire- 
place, last fall, to meet you again m council. 

I observe that you have faid tome, that you are forry that 
you have occafioned any delay; but I remember, that when 
I firft came to vifit you, I requefted you to be deliberate, and 
cool; and to do nothing in a hurry. You, doubtlefs, remem- 
ber, that I have often told you that it was a great thing fo re- 
ceive and obey the gofpel of JESUS CHRIST. I have alfo 
often told you, that if you were haft\' in making up your 
minds, you would be hafty in forgetting; that, therefore. 
there was a neceffity of calm deliberation upon matters of 
such threat importance. 

I have been well acquainted, ever fince laft fall, that you 
have had a great deal of trouble and dif]icult\- in your na- 
tions; and I have been much concerned about it. Since that 
time, I have often prayed to the Great Spirit above, that He 



would help you to fettle your diflficulties, In a way that would 
make for peace. Now I thank the Great Spirit that He has 
heard my prayers fo far, that you have peace and good-will 
among you. 

Now, Children, if I had time, I would be glad to remark 
upon everything that you have fpoken to me this day; but 1 
have not time at prefent: But 1 will tell you this; I am well 
pleafed with the moft of what you have faid. 

Now, one thing more, Children, I will fay to you. 1 hope, 
by the leave of the Great Spirit, to return home, and to con- 
fider of the Talk that you have delivered to me at this time; 
and to return with my interpreter, and give you an anfwer 
in writing; that you, and your children after you, may always 
have it in your power to know what 1 fay, in reply to what 
you have fpoken this day; and also to fend a copy of it to 
the Miffionary Society, that they may know what I have 
faid to you. I will, according to your requeft, fend them a 
copy of your Talk to me at this time, and alfo leave one with 
you. All that I have further to fay, is, that I pray that the 
Great Spirit may blefs you with peace and good-will among 
yourfelves, and make you happy in this world, and prepare 
you for happinefs after death. 



Bulfaloe Creek, 28th Sept. 1803. 
We, the subscribers, do hereby certify, that we were 
present when the speech of Red Jacket, a Sachem of the 
Seneca nation of Indians, was delivered to the Rev. Elka- 
nah Holmes, Missionary to the Northwestern Indians; and 
that the above is a correct translation of it, as interpreted to 
us by Messrs. Johnson and Smith, Indian interpreters: — 
And, Likewise, tha^t the extemporaneous reply of the Rev. 
Elkanah Holmes to the Sachems of the Seneca, Onondaga, 
and Cayuga nations, assembled in council at the time of the 
delivery of the aforesaid speech, is also above correctly 

DAVID THOMPSON, 

Justice of the Peace, County of Genesee. 

JOHN W. BROWNSON, 

Lieutenant of 11th Regiment U. States Infantry." 



Printed by John W. Sanborn, Friendship, M. ¥., Mailed for 16c. copy 

Kititioii limited to l'i!i Copies. 



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